For many of us the beginning of November means dealing with five to six months of winter, or perhaps counting the days until winter holiday break but for many November means so much more. November is National Adoption Month. Since the then Governor of Massachusetts Mike Dukakis proclaimed the first week of November as Adoption Week back in 1976, countries around the world, have for lack of a better word adopted November as the month to bring awareness to the impact adoption has on families. The other mandate being to dismantle some of the myths around adoption for both adoptive parents and what adoption means for birth parents.
Since 1989 Adoption Options Manitoba Inc. has been dealing with both adoptive parents and birth parents with all issues surrounding adoption. In 1999 Adoption Options became Manitoba’s first licensed adoption agency that operated under The Adoption Act of Manitoba.
When many think of adoption, they think of the grieving mother, who does not have the ability to raise a child and hands their child off to an adoption agency , never to see them again. More and more however this does not have to be the case. Adoption Options very much believes in an open adoption process, where birth mothers are part of their child’s life regardless of the fact that they are not actually raising them.
Dawn Warkentin is the Executive Director of Adoption Options, as she explains, “With open adoption there are so many benefits for all parts of the adoption triad…for adoptees who get to be part of both families and to know they are loved and wanted…and for adoptive parents to have access to the medical records and definitely for the birth parents to know that the child is doing well and is loved.”
With open adoption birth parents are able to choose the family they want their child placed with. Issues such as religious, lifestyle, and location in the Province are all things that birth parents can decide on. They can even meet the adoptive parents and have a relationship with them and their child. As Warkentin states, “Mainly it turns into a relationship between birth parents, the adoptee and the adoptive parents that looks a little bit more like extended family….where birth parents motivation is just to know that the child is doing well and that the child knows that hey love them.”
Adoptions Options serves a myriad of support roles in all facets of the adoption process for everyone involved. Many think that this would be something that would fall under the umbrella of The Province's Child and Family Services Department, but Adoption Options is purely a non-profit organization that relies on donations to keep operating. There are only two adoption agencies in the Province and they both run on a combination of fees from potential adoptive parents and donations from the public.
On Saturday, November 24 at 5:30, Adoption Options will be holding their annual “Conceiving Dreams Dinner” to celebrate November being National Adoption Month as well as to celebrate the many success stories they have had. This a fundraising event that will be held at Canad Inns Polo Park and will feature great food, a trivia night, 50-50 draws and a silent auction. This is Adoption Options biggest fundraiser of the year, with all monies going toward keeping this vital and crucial Manitoba organization running.
For those wanting to find out more about the adoption process and have questions answered visit the Adoption Options Website. For those wanting to donate you can also visit the Adoption Options donations page. They are a registered charity and tax receipts will be given for all donations over $10.00.
Everybody knows someone who has been adopted, just think of what that person’s life would be like if it were not for organizations like Adoption Options...
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